Name: If Only
Director: Liliana Bocanegra
Released: 2022-10-28T12:30:00

If Only (2022) is a Spanish series about Emma who feels miserable after 10 years of marriage. She gets a chance to change all that when she’s sent back in time to relive those 10 years. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Emma is in a miserable marriage with her husband Nando, and her two children, Mario and Mia. She asks for a divorce and truly wishes that she would have never said yes to his proposal in the first place.

Her wish is granted on the night of the lunar eclipse as she sent back in time 10 years to the day that Nando proposed. This time she makes sure to say no to him and begins to live life differently.

She meets two other people who have also been sent back, Ruben and Alfredo. She starts a company with them using their knowledge of their future and they become very successful.

The only thing tying her to her old life is the memory of her twins and it holds her back from moving on with Ruben. Ultimately, things are thrown for a loop when it is revealed that Emma is in the hospital the years she “relived” were all in her head.

Performances

Megan Montaner plays the lead character of Emma and her performance is great. She’s very emotional and expressive in her portrayal and everything she feels comes across perfectly.

She displays just the right amount of obsessiveness or unhinged behaviour when she talks about being from the future or her children that haven’t been born.

Miquel Fernández is the cheating husband, Nando. His character commits some despicable acts and is very unlikeable, yet Fernández does manage to add some charm to the role.

Michel Noher is the smooth and suave Ruben and his portrayal is mysterious and adds a level of intrigue to the story. The rest of the cast supports the series admirably to round it out.

Positives

The humour in the series hits all the right notes. The director knows when to keep it fun and when to turn the seriousness up, maintaining a good balance throughout.

All the episodes move at an acceptable pace and the story never rushes or drags at any point. There is a gradual progression towards the climax which feels adequate.

Negatives

The execution of the idea feels incomplete and not well-planned. The mystery of Ruben and the action sequences make some sense with the later reveal that he’s an actor but still feels unnecessary or at least undercooked.

There are other moments which don’t match up with the rest of the narrative such as Nando’s sister Sara suddenly helping Alfredo by sending his bookies to jail in the end. Their connection is nonexistent before then and in a few minutes, they establish a strong link.

The same goes for the ending, as Emma following the real Ruben around is not the right way to behave around a celebrity one doesn’t know.

Add to that what looks like a jealous Nando following her even though he cheated on her which sent her to the hospital, and there are multiple issues with the conclusion of the series.

Verdict

If Only (2022) could have been a much more impressive series with a few different creative decisions but as it stands, it ranks as a casual one-time watch with a decent plot and some interesting humour. There are multiple plotholes for the more eagle-eyed viewers but if one just pays attention to the main story, they’ll come out mildly entertained.